Strip applicator



H. M. RATLEY May 5, 1942.

STRIP APPLICATOR 2 sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan.

mm Nm f INVENTOR HAROLD MRAT LEY ATTORNEYS May 5, 1942.

H. M. RATLEY STRIP APPLICATOR Filed Jan.

16, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG-.2,

8 INVENTOR HAROLD M. RATLEY ATTORNEYS Patented May 5, 1942 mans @tries STRIP APPLICATOR Harold M. Ratley, Highland Park, Mich., assignor to National Automotive Fibres, Inc., Detroit,

Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application January 1e, 1939, serial No. 2521.275v

6 Claims. (Cl. 24E- 553) l advance the strips are severed `intermediate ad- The present invention relates to apparatus for continuously applying strip material to a series of articles, such as a strip of rubber to trim panels.

It is an object of the invention to provide apparatus for applying strip material to a series of continuously advancing articles.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide means for applying strip material to designated areas of a plurality of continuously advancing articles in which the means is designed to provide for renewal of the supply of strip material without interruption of the operation.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent as the description proceeds and when taken'in conjunction with the accompanying drawings,` and wherein Fig. 1 is a vertical section through the mechanism for applying strip material;

Fig. 2 is a detail plan view of the strip supporting assembly;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3, Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a detail vertical section showing the engagement between the strip material and the article;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5 5, Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6 6, Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of a panel in the process of assembly; and 1 Fig. 8 is a. section on the line 8 8, Fig. 7.

Briefly described, the apparatus is employed as follows: Padding material such for example as cotton is deposited on a moving conveyor by suitable mechanism such for example as a Garnett machine. The padding material is deposited in a continuous layer of a thickness which may be predetermined by the rate of travel of the conveyor and/or the capacity of the Garnett machine. A plurality of panel boards are coated with adhesive and are placed adhesive side down on the padding material. The padding material and panels then advance past a trimming mechanism which removes padding material from around the edges of the panel boards. The panel boards are then inverted on the conveyor and by appropriate mechanism padding material is removed from designated areas of the panel boards. The panel boards continue to advance and pass adjacent supplies of strip material which may be in the form of rolls 4of uncured rubberous material.. The parts are Iarranged so that the strips of material are deposited upon the areas of the panel board from which padding material has been removed. As the panel boards continue to jacent panels.

Referring now specically to Figs. l to 6, the mechanism for applying the strip material 22 is illustrated. Panels P are advanced. along conveyor Ill and just prior to reaching, the strip applying assembly 2l they are advanced by hand so as to insure proper minimum spacing to avoid waste of strip material. The device 2| comprises standards 3l! and 3l which support a table 32. A motor 33 through suitable speed changing mechanism indicated atg34 is adapted to rotate a driving sprocket 35 which in turn continuously advances a driving chain 3%. The chain 36 `is supported from a plurality of idle, sprockets 3l carried by the tab-levv assembly. As best seenin Figs. 45 and 6, the chainv 36 is provided witha plurality of pins 3l! which are adapted to engage the panel boards and to insure positive advance thereof.

At the top of the tablechain 3d advances Within a channel shaped guide 39, which asshown in Fig. 5 extends above the pins 3,8 for a substantial distance and then is of reduced height as indicated at 39' in Fig. 5. The panels P are therefore brought into engagement with the advance ing pins 38 only just prior to engagement with va roller di] subsequently to be described in detail.

The mechanism just described insures that the panels will be rmlypositioned relative to the advancing chain 35 and will therefore pass in accurately predetermined relation vrelative to the supports for the strip material 22.

Brackets ll are provided which vextend from uprights 30 and carry a transverse rod 42 which is of circular cross section and is bolted or otherwise secured thereto. Brackets 4| in -addition are provided `with registering apertures 43 through which a second rod fill extends. l The rod M has a' shifting lever l5 firmly secured thereto for shifting said rod axially.

The ends of the brackets 4I are united by a cross member 66 which is provided with a pair of notches 4l for reception of the shifting'lever 45 previously referred to. In Fig. 2 I have illustrated the lever as engaged in one recess 4l. It will be appreciated that movement of the lever l5 from one lto the other of the recesses 4l results' in a corresponding shifting movement of the rod 44. y

Supporting plates 5l! are carried -by the rods 42 and dit, the plates 5i) being substantially circular and provided with diametrically oppositely disposed centrally apertured ears 5l. Platesl) are slidably secured on' the rod l2 and are rigidly f and 6T.

2 secured to and movable with the shiftable rod 44. Projecting from opposite sides of the plates 50 are spindles 52 for the reception of 'rolls of strip material 22. Retaining plates 53 are provided with a centrally apertured ear 54 forsupporting the plates for pivotal movement about rod 42 and are provided at a diametricallyl opf y posite portion with a slotted ear 55 for releasable l engagement with the shiftable rod 44. Retaining plates 53 may thus be swung upward to and beyond the dotted position shown in Fig. 3 so as to permit replacement of an expended roll. of strip material. i

construed as broadly as permissible in view of;

the prior art.

What I claim, as my invention is: 1,'A device for applying strip material to a `series of advancing articles which comprises a support having a fixed rod, and a spaced axially shiftable rod,l shifting and indexing means comprising a handle on said shiftable rod and a rest s having vspaced notches for said handle; a' plurality of plates secured to said shiftable rod at l spaced .points and slidable on said fixed rod; roll supporting pins projecting from opposite sides The foregoing arrangement provides means i for replacing expended rollsr ofstrip material without stopping the operation of the continu,-

ous process described herein. It sheuldl be afp-`A preciated thatit is a prime importance that the position ofthe rolls 22 relative to the advancing t series. offpanel platesbe, accurately maintained. As strip material is withdrawn from one setcf rolls,L for example the left-hand roll ofv each-set may be positioned upon the right-handspindles 52, as seen in this figure. As the left-handrolls ofr material, as seen in Fig. 2, are exhausted the newly replaced right-handv rollsmay be brought into accurately predetermined position by shifting the rod 44 from the position shown to the left-hand notch 41'. This shifting of the lever 45 results in a corresponding shifting of the rod 44 and of the plates 50, the plates 50 sliding uponA the rods 42 for this purpose. Thenew supplies of. strip material are then in accurately predetermined position and may be joined on to the end of the expended rolls.

bracket 56 is carried by the frame and provides aguide member 51 against which the strip material 22 bears as it is withdrawn from the roll. In addition, bracket 5B carries a weight 58 connected toY a` flexible strip 59 whichV bears against the roll of strip material 22 and which prevents too free rotationof the roll.

Depending from the bracket 4| and carried by arms 6U is a receptacle 6I for adhesive material.

A roller`62 is' journalled in the open endr of Vthe receptacle BI and strip material 22 is guided rover the roller 62. by meansv of guide rollers 63 and 64.

of said plates, said pins adapted to support rolls of strip materialV spaced byian amount substantially equal tio. the,v spacing of said notches; and independently releasable roll retainers cooperating. with each of said pins, said retainers comshown inv Fig. 2, a new roll of strip material 22 Preferably the roller 63 is provided with flanges 65 to accurately position. strip material 22 relative tothe advancing series of panel plates. If desired a doctor blade 66 may be provided which bears lightly against the roller 62 and removes excess' adhesive therefrom. s

' suitably jouralled in brackets (not shown) carried by the table 32 .are a pair of rollers 49 Roller 61 is provided ywith guiding flanges 68 for accurately predeternfiiningV the position of the strip material 22 relative to the .O

advancing seriessof panel plates P. Thev roller 40 bears against .the panel assemblies and r forces them downwardly into engagement with the pins 38. Inaddition the roller 40 also serves to press In Figs. '7 and 8 Iy have illustrated la panelP as it appears after application of rubber 22 thereto. At this' timepadding material l2 has been removed from areas 23 and a strip of deformable material has been applied.

, The foregoing detailed description has beenA given for clearness and understanding only, and

- the strip material 22'rmly against the panel plates P to insure proper adhesion thereto.

prising plates pivoted to one of said rods and f havinghooked portions engaging said other rod,

and adapted to prevent accidental removal of a roll from the corresponding pin.

2. A device for applying strip material to a series of advancing articles Vwhich comprises va support having a fixed rod,f and a spaced axially shiftable rod; shifting andindexing meanscomprising a handle on said shiftable rodand a rest having spaced notches for said handle; a plate secured to said shiftable rod and slidable on said iixed rod; roll supporting pins extending from opposite sides of said plate and adapted vto support rolls of strip materialspaced by an amount substantially equal to the spacing f of said notches; and independently releasable roll'rethereto for shifting movement therewith, a pair of axially aligned, roll .supporting Apins carried by said plate structure andhavingv free ends extending therefrom in a direction parallel to said rod, and means for shifting saidrod axially 'bee tween two positions andnfor lockinggsai'd rod in either shifted position.

4. In apparatus v for applying vstrip material to a series a supporting framework including a rod shiftable'axially in adirection perpendicular to and across the path of advance of the articles to which strip material is to be applied, a flat plate structure having` its plane normal to said rod and secured thereto'for shifting movement therewith, a pair of axially aligned, roll supporting y vpins'carried by said platev structure and having free ends extending therefrom'in a direction parallel to said rod, a roll retainer plate for cooperation with'each ofsaid pins independentlypivoted to said framework for 'movement about an axis parallel to said rod froma posi'- no unnecessary limitation should be understood therefrom, but the appended claims should be -tion in which said plates retain rolls onv said fpins to a positionin which `said plates permit removal and replacement of rolls on said pins, and means for shifting said rod axially vrbetween two positions and for locking said rod in either shifted position.

5. In\apparatus for applying stripmaterial toa series ofv continuously advancing articles, a

ofI continuously advancing articles,

supporting framework including a rod shiftable axially in a direction perpendicular to and cross the path of advance of the articles to which strip material is to be applied, a nat plate structure having its plane normal to said rod and secured thereto for shifting movement therewith, a pair of axially aligned, roll supporting pins carried by said plate structure and having free ends extending therefrom in a direction parallel to said rod, a support on said rod, weighted flexible friction members carried by said support and adapted to engage over the peripheries of rolls of strip material carried by said pins, and means for shifting said rod axially between two positions and for locking said rod in either shifted position.

6. In apparatus for applying strip material to a series of continuously advancing articles, a supporting framework including a horizontal rod shiftable axially in a direction perpendicular to and across the path of advance of the articles to which strip material is to be applied, a at plate structure having its plane normal to said rod and secured thereto for shifting movement therewith, a pair of axially aligned, roll supporting pins carried by said plate structure and having free ends extending therefrom in a direction parallel to said rod, a vertically extending support on said rod, a guide adjacent the lower end of said support beneath said strip material is led, Weighted flexible strips of friction material secured to the upper end of said support, and adapted to engage over the peripheries of rolls of strip material carried by said pins, and means for shifting said rod axially between two positions and for locking said rod in either shifted position.

\ HAROLD M. RATLEY. 

